Despite its small size, the autonomousregion of Navarra offers starkcontrasts in scenery, from lushlyforested Pyrenean hillsides, broad rivervalleys and towering limestone canyons inthe north, to the plains of the Ebro Rivervalley in the south; the latter enjoying amore Mediterranean influence - a land ofscented maquis, olive groves andvineyards! A visit to this region gives onethe feeling of having stumbled across awell-kept secret, and Navarra offers somefine wildlife habitats, its arid semi-desertsand majestic rock formations, unspoiledwetlands and dense forests all providing ayear-round haven for an impressive diversityof birds. We begin our holiday in the 42,000-hectareBardenas Reales Natural Park, anextraordinary semi-desert landscape ofgullies, rocky outcrops and plateauxsculpted by erosion. This rather surrealgeology provides a splendid backdrop toour excursions within the park, where thesteppes and plains are home to many birdspecies including the shy Dupont's Lark,Stone Curlew, Great and Little Bustards,Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse,and many species of lark (Crested, Thekla,Short-toed, Lesser Short-toed, Calandra andWood) and wheatears (Black, Black-earedand Northern). The park is also home toone of the largest populations of GriffonVultures on the Iberian Peninsula.Having explored the dramatic landscapes ofBardenas we head north towards thePyrenees, stopping en route to explore themarshes and grasslands of the serenelybeautiful Laguna de Pitillas, a large salinelake where Bearded Tits and Bittern may befound, plus a host of migratory species inboth the reedbeds and surrounding steppe.A superb variety of birds is found herethroughout the year and by May the air willbe full of bird song. We'll listen for suchsummer visitors as Hoopoe, Turtle Dove,Bee-eater and Nightingale, as well as thesongs of resident birds, all proclaiming theirterritories among the reeds and surroundingwheat fields and woodlands. Egrets, Red-crested Pochard plus other duck speciesare among the many residents we'll findhere, while summer arrivals include Black-necked Grebe, Little Bittern, Purple Heron,the exotic-looking Black-winged Stilt andbirds of prey such as Short-toed andBooted Eagle.Before we leave the Mediterraneanlandscapes of south and central Navarra,we'll sample the excellent wines of the area.Bordering the world-famous Rioja region,the vineyards to the south and north-west ofthe River Ebro form the centre of Navarra'swine industry. Vineyards have been presentin the province since Roman times andNavarra boasts a fine selection of rosés,whites, both young and barrel-aged redwines, as well as sweet wines. As we headnorth we'll visit a couple of these vineyards,and also have plenty of opportunities fortasting a good variety of wines,accompanied by the area's manifoldgastronomic delights!For the remainder of our tour we will focuson the forested limestone gorges anduplands of northern Navarra. TheMediterranean influence of the plains andwine-growing south gives way to extensiveoak and pine forest as we travel northwardstowards our next location, the Foz deLumbier. This spectacular limestone gorge,cloaked in Beech and Holm Oak woodlandand low Mediterranean scrub, is home tosuch species as Blue Rock Thrush, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Melodious,Subalpine and Bonelli's Warblers, and Cirl,Ortolan and Rock Buntings, while overheadAlpine Swifts, Crag Martins and abundantbirds of prey may be seen. Lower down, inriverside poplar groves, Bee-eaters andGolden Orioles breed, and surroundingfields hold Crested Larks, Thekla Larks andTawny Pipits. Lastly, we'll explore the higher slopes of thenorth-western Pyrenees. Here we will focuson the magnificent Irati Forest, the secondlargest and best-preserved Beech andSilver Fir forest in western Europe.Presenting a vast green mantle of some17,000 hectares of pristine forest, this is avaluable refuge for a wealth of wildlife - aplace where mature trees tower to 40metres, making this a natural paradise forwoodland birds, especially woodpeckers(among them Black and the rare White-backed Woodpecker). Nearby, among therocky summits above the forest,Lammergeiers, Citril Finches, Snowfinchesand Alpine Accentors may all be found,together with Chamois and Alpine Marmotsand an abundance of glorious alpine flora.This tour to Navarra offers you an excitingand varied range of little-explored Europeanhabitats and their associated wildlife, allwashed down with some first-class wines.We're sure you're going to like it as muchas we do!ZARAGOZAIRATI FOREST/ISABAVALTIERRABARDENASREALESLOURDES TOULOUSE ANDORRA BILBAO MADRID ORDESSANATIONAL PARKFRANCE SPAIN 130Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Zaragoza; transferValtierra.Day 2/3Exploration of BardenasReales, Pitillas and Olitefrom Valtierra.Day 4/6 Exploration of theLumbier Gorge and IratiForest from Isaba.Day 7Transfer Zaragoza; flyLondon.AccommodationComfortable family-run hotels, allrooms with private facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Easy day walks only.FocusBirds, other wildlife and localwines.LeaderByron Palacios.Single room supplement£150.Web quick search: ESP24Spain - Birds &Wines of Navarra A 7-day holiday to sample the heady mixture of birdlife and wines found among thedense forests, uplands, steppes, canyons and wetlands of Navarra in northern Spain. Monday 14th May - Sunday 20th May Cost: £1,195Bardenas Reales Natural ParkDupont's LarkPin-tailed Sandgrouse

The scenery of the Spanish Pyreneeshas a pleasing grandeur and providesa setting that attracts many visitorseach year, but, with photography as ourfocus on this 8-day holiday to rural Aragónwe'll view the region's stunning cliffs,canyons and limestone erosions with amore artistic eye than the general tourist.Aimed at beginners and intermediates, youwill have a chance to hone your wildlifeand landscape photography skills in abeautiful and unspoilt setting, withbreathtaking Pyrenean scenery as abackdrop to your shots. The comfortablebase for our activities is a delightful 300-year-old property situated in the prettyhilltop village of Berdún which enjoys fineviews of the Pyrenees, surroundingfoothills, and valleys of the Veral andAragón Rivers. Our friendly hosts will makeus most welcome, keeping us well fed onlocal cuisine, while our tutor will beexperienced local photographer SergioPadura. Sergio fine-tuned his artisticappreciation with a B.A. in Art History atthe University of Barcelona, as well ascompleting a 5-year course at the Instituteof Photographic Studies of Catalonia. Nowbased in the Aragonese Pyrenees, he hastravelled widely, and works as aprofessional photographer in a variety ofdifferent sectors from architecture tolandscape. He has an open, friendlymanner and an excellent understanding ofhow to help people make the most of theirpotential as a photographer - whateverlevel they start at. This tour is designed forthose who want to learn more about thebasics of photography and who also havea keen interest in nature. Advances intechnology mean many of us now owndigital SLR cameras. If you have becomeaccustomed to setting the dial to 'AUTO',and have forgotten or are only dimly awareof such concepts as focal length, apertureand shutter speed, but have the kit and arekeen to learn (or remember) how to use it,this holiday offers such an opportunity!Sergio will teach you the basics, and moredepending on how fast you progress, thenhead straight off outside to help youpractise your new skills, with the naturalbeauty of the setting providing thebackdrop of scenery, birds, plants andbutterflies that will be the subjects of the holiday.On arrival at our 17th century guesthouse,after a short flight to Zaragoza, we'll havean introductory slideshow followed bydinner. Each day we'll make excursions tolocations within an hour's drive for thephotography course - to the highPyrenees and foothills, rounding off eachevening with a debrief of the 'day's work'and analysis of everyone's pictures. We'llaim to include a few early morning starts tocatch the best light, as well as making oneevening shoot of the stars. During theweek, in the field and back at ourguesthouse, Sergio will help youunderstand your camera and how toachieve the best results from it, startingwith finding your way around the camera'scontrols and picture composition. Attentionwill also be paid to depth of field, choice oflens and understanding exposure, as wellas editing and printing. The emphasis willbe firmly on helping you to look upon yourwork with a critical but constructive eyeand learning to appreciate the effect yourchoice of camera settings has on thefinished print.During our stay, we will explore the areaaround Berdún, where the Aragón andVeral Valleys and the spectacular BiniésGorge are home to an excellent variety oflow-level birds and plants. WhileLammergeier, Golden Eagle, Bee-eaters,Golden Orioles, Ortolan Buntings andEgyptian Vultures are among the birdspecies we are likely to see in the area,we'll tend to focus on photographing rathereasier-to-capture subjects such as RockSparrows and Griffon Vultures. We will visitthe beautiful Hecho Valley, enjoying thedisplays of flowers and their attendantbutterflies, and there is even a chance ofthe elusive Wallcreeper here though we'llneed some patience to try and photographone! The photographers who are keen tocapture shots of wild flowers in our partywill additionally find carpets of gentiansand Pyrenean Buttercups in the valleybottom, as well as numerous saxifragesand other rock-dwelling plants on thescree slopes above.The Pyrenees is an accessibly exoticlocation offering great scenery, goodweather and a wide variety of birds,animals, flowers and insects. Sergio willhelp you to be ready when that split-second opportunity arises to get a shot ofa Lammergeier overhead, but it will mostlikely be the spectacular scenery andwealth of insects, flowers and birds thatlinger long in your memory andphotographs!Wildlife Photography - in the Spanish PyreneesAn 8-day holiday offering a chance to learn and practise your photography skills in a spectacularPyrenean setting offering a wealth of birds, wild flowers and insect-life as subjects.Sunday 27th May - Sunday 3rd June Cost: £1,295 Sunday 16th September - Sunday 23rd September Cost: £1,295 Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationJACAZARAGOZABERDÚNLOURDES TOULOUSE ANDORRA BILBAO MADRID ORDESSA NATIONAL PARK FRANCE SPAIN Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Zaragoza andtransfer to Berdún.Day 2/7A programme ofphotography tuition anddaily excursions tophotograph scenery,birds, insect-life andwild flowers from ourbase in Berdún.Day 8Fly Stansted.AccommodationA characterful 17th centuryAragonese dwelling, situated in adelightfully unspoilt village. Allrooms have private facilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingGrade A/B. Day walks only.FocusWildlife photography (birds, plantsand insects); also walking.Leader Sergio Padura.Single room supplement£140.ExtensionsArranged on request.Web quick search: ESP25131Anso ValleyGuarrinzaValleyEuropean Green Lizard